-The Vinturi Wine Aerator

~ The Vinturi Red Wine Aerator ~

If you drink wine and love wine like I do, you'll want to have one of these!  I purchased one as a gift for my Hubby, and I'll admit it was also for me too!  Love those types of gifts!  We have always liked to open our wine and let it breathe a while before serving.  If you decant your wine to do this it takes a little while for it to be effective.  The Vinturi does it for you instantly, and you only need to do a glass at a time!  It's quick and easy to use.  It noticeably enhances the flavor and aroma of the wine.  

Holding the aerator over a glass you simply pour the wine slowly through the aerator, and it draws in and mixes the proper amount of air, for the right amount of time.  Try a blind taste test of one glass of wine poured using the Vinturi and one poured without, I feel certain you will notice the difference!  

This is surely a must have for any Red wine lover.  There is also a Venturi for use with White wine too.  Red and White wine require different aeration.  The Venturi Red Wine Aerator is not extremely expensive at a cost of about thirty dollars, and comes with a no-drip stand (pictured below).  

I purchased the Vinturi Wine Aerator Tower Gift Set (pictured below), from Williams-Sonoma.  It is designed so you can place a wine glass underneath the aerator, while it sits in the tower.  But in all honesty we have yet to figure a way to pour wine through the aerator, while it's sitting in the tower, and not have wine leak down the back side of it as we pour the wine.  A friend tells me they have no problem with theirs, perhaps it is operator error?  So I can't fully recommend the Venturi Wine Aerator Tower (but it does look pretty), although I do wholeheartedly recommend the Vinturi Red Wine Aerator!

Happy sipping...

~ Wine Divine ~

Wines I've enjoyed recently... 

Saladini - Pilastri - Rosso - Piceno

As we are always on the search for more Rosso wines, it is nice to stumble upon one that is as enjoyable as this one.   On one of our trips to Greenville, SC, we were introduced to this Rosso at a wine shop, and they recommended it, so we bought two bottles to give it a try.  Later we wished we had gotten more, after we enjoyed the first bottle.  On another visit to the same shop, we grabbed up the last four bottles!  

Sangiovese is the primary grape in this Italian blend of Sangiovese (70%) and Montepulciano (30%).  A great red for the price, aromatic, smooth and delicious!   A nice full bodied wine with aromas of black cherries, berries, smoke and oak.  We'll be looking for more of this.

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Terrazas - Altos Del Plata - Malbec

This wine was real a surprise.  A Malbec from Argentina.  I had remembered having it before at a wine tasting a while back, and I had made note of it by taking a photo at that time, since it was the wine we liked best at the tasting.  It was the first time I had ever tasted a Malbec, and I really enjoyed it. I later noticed it on display in the wine area of my local grocery and remembered having had it before.  The label seemed different, but I knew I'd definitely had this before!  After searching for the *photo (pictured below), I noticed that it was different because it had a new label and was the next year's vintage, but was indeed the name I had remembered. 

The first thing I noticed about this wine was the richness of it, the aroma and it is very deep in color, almost purple.  On the bottle it is described as -

Color: Intense red, with violet highlights.  Aroma: Great intensity of fruit.  Outstanding notes of cherries and forest berries, with subtle notes of caramel, spices and toast provided by oak aging.

The Wines of Altos del Plata come from one of the highest mountains range of the Andes: The "Cordon del Plata".  

This has become a new favorite!

*  Terrazas Malbec photo from an earlier wine tasting.

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More to come! :o)

Cheers!...

~Tammy~

~ Wine Divine ~

~My love for Wine started a while back when I was living in England, and has grown ever since.  I enjoy red wine the most and usually prefer a full bodied type, dry, deeply colored, rich and aromatic!  I usually go for a first choice of either a Rosso or Cabernet Sauvignon.  I do also enjoy Chianti, Merlot, Shiraz and Pinot Noir.  I love Italian wines.  Love 'em!  They are a favorite.  

We enjoyed dining at a little Italian restaurant in Watford, England named Carnevale, while living near by there, and the owner/manger introduced us to Corvo Rosso.  The full name is Duca di Salaparuta Corvo Sicilia Rosso.  This was usually the wine of choice with many a fine evening enjoying the delicious Italian cuisine there.  Always delicious food and lots of fine wine.  I learned at that time that eating could be and was, as much an experience as a necessity.  I have many memories of long evenings spent there having a great time, and of bringing people there to enjoy the place with us!   I believe the restaurant still exists but it is vastly different than the place I admired.  

We were quite pleased to find Corvo wine when we returned to the states.  Sadly for a while though, we couldn't find any Corvo, but thanks to internet wine shopping we have been able to fulfill our Corvo wishes!  

Corvo Rosso

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Wines I enjoy and would recommend!

Taurino - Salice Salentino - Rosso

The search for more Rosso brought us to this fine specimen one day while shopping at a wine store in Greenville, SC.  It was so good we looked for it the next time we were in there.  We did find one lone case and promptly purchased it.  It was the last time we were able to find it there, and so then I got busy searching the internet and found some online.  I had to try out the 2007 since I searched to the moon and back for the 2004, seems it was gone, gone!  I decided on ordering a case for the hubster for Christmas! 

It's so nice to get to share in the gifts we get for others, smart huh?...he he 

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Castello di Gabbiano - Chianti Classico - Riserva

This Chianti has a nice full oak flavor and is fruity.  This is a step up from the Chianti Classico, which I see often as a choice at most Italian restaurants.   Made from sangiovese grapes.  Intense, concentrated fruits.  If you like a Chianti I recommend you give this a try! 

~The wine is aged for two years in oak barrels to enhance its structure and richness.  Thirty percent of the wine was aged in small, 55-gallon barriques (French oak barrels), while 70 percent was aged in 500-gallon botti (Slovenian oak barrels). After bottling, the wine rests for another six months before it is released.

Gabbiano Gets It Right - Great article on this wine!

   

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7 Deadly Zins - Zinfandel

This wine was recommended one evening by our server, while we were enjoying a celebration anniversary/birthday dinner at the fondue restaurant the Melting Pot.  We were pleasantly surprised with its wonderful richness.  I honestly can't remember ever having a Zinfandel that wasn't white before that.  None the less I fell in love with this wine and have enjoyed it ever since that evening, and I have even given and received it as a gift!  This has a nice oakey, full rich flavor and every time I have it I remember why I like it so much!  The back of the bottle has a crafted poem containing the seven deadly sins. Oh lord, forgive me my zins.

Michael and David 2007 The Seven deadly Zins Zinfandel - Great article on this wine!

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More to come! :o)

I'll be adding more wines as I try them!

Cheers! *glass clink*